Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin

Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin

Hi all. I haven’t posted on here for a long time, and gone through a burst of posts in the last week as I pick up my quest again once and for all.
I posted on another thread that I was on the look out for an octave mando /mandola, and played a few off the shelf today in Dublin.
I was going to abandon the mandolin. I have had a Fender FM 62 SCE for years and always struggled with it.
However, out of curiosity, I tried a few while I was in a few shops today and was pleasantly surprised.
I think the main issue with my Fender is the neck width. Way too thin for me, which turns me off the instrument, and it always sounds too bright or shrill to me. (Great workhorse for band gigs when plugged in though)
So I tried a cheap McBride’s mando with an acoustic sound hole: http://www.waltons.ie/home/products/view/03amcb-sym2-na-mcbrides-mandolin/

Surprised at the sweeter sound it gave off, and the neck was wider than what I was used to.

I also came across the Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin, and had a go, and really liked this one:

Re: Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin

Re: Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin

I have an M.K. Kelly Dragonfly. Sounds like a mandolin, plays very well but the Fishman electronics suck massively. Should you go that course, buy un-electric and add an LR Baggs mandolin unit or something comparable. The Dragonfly plays way better than my Joe Foley and the tone cuts where the Foley is just too mellow.

Re: Tanglewood TSM M Mandolin

I can recommend the Breedlove Crossover 00 round hole. As a guitarist I need a wide necked mandolin and this fits the bill at a reasonable cost. The action is easy to adjust. Try more than one if possible as they can differ in sound. e.g. I tried an f-hole and it was much quieter than the round hole.
Happy picking.